A united tribute to Bradley
Defoe’s tears at brave lad’s funeral
ENGLAND star Jermain Defoe broke down yesterday at the funeral of his football-mad “best friend” Bradley Lowery.
He joined 3,000 mourners to pay tribute to the brave six-year-old.
JERMAIN Defoe broke down in tears yesterday as he joined 3,000 mourners at the funeral of his football-mad “best friend” Bradley Lowery.
The England ace was among a host of players to pay tribute to the six-year-old whose brave battle against a rare childhood cancer touched the nation’s hearts. Fans around the world were moved by Bradley’s desire to live every moment of his life to the full and his friendship with hero Jermain, 34. The youngster’s home village of Blackhall Colliery, Co Durham, came to a standstill as thousands, many in football shirts, united in grief as they lined the streets for the moving ceremony.
Bradley’s coffin arrived in a glass carriage pulled by two white horses decked out in the red and white of Sunderland.
A line of his favourite superheroes – including Batman, Spiderman and Captain America – saluted as the casket was carried into St Joseph’s Catholic Church.
Bradley’s mum Gemma read a poem which included: “We will meet again – our superhero in the sky.’’
Jermain wore one of his England shirts to the service with “Bradley 6” on the back. He wept as he left the church. Sunderland players John O’Shea, Lee Cattermole, Vito Mannone and ex-manager David Moyes were among mourners.
Bradley died a week ago after a long battle with neuroblastoma. Sunderland AFC’s chaplain, Marc Lyden-Smith, told the church how football sometimes got a bad press but “not today”. Parents were livid after 32 pupils were sent home from Rawmarsh Community School, Rotherham, South Yorks, yesterday for wearing shirts in tribute to Bradley. No-one at the school was available for comment last night.